BUFFALO, Texas– Javier Cardoso-Reyes, 47, passed away around noon on August 17, 2022, after sustaining fatal injuries in a semi-truck rollover accident.
According to police reports, Cardoso-Reyes was traveling down Highway 16 in Mosier Gulch when he was unable to slow his semi-truck and failed to navigate a turn. Cardoso-Reyes was hauling drill pipe for CHGG Delivery, LLC of Katy, Texas.
The crash caused the semi-truck to roll over a guardrail and down a rocky embankment into the bottom of Mosier Gulch. The semi-truck cab separated from the trailer, and the frame of the cab separated from the engine block. The engine subsequently caught fire, resulting in a small grass fire near the crash site. Drill pipe from the trailer was scattered all over the roadway. Some eyewitnesses have come forward, stating they thought the driver of the semi-truck was having problems controlling the truck all the way up the Gulch.
Unfortunately, Cardoso-Reyes was found in the cab and pronounced dead at the scene.
No further information about the crash was immediately available.
Further investigation could reveal that this truck accident could have been prevented.
Clearly, this semi-truck was out of control in Mosier Gulch. Unfortunately, Cardoso-Reyes paid for that loss of control with his life. Justice demands the family of Cardoso-Reyes get answers about what ultimately caused this tragic accident. Further investigation could easily reveal that this semi-truck crash may have been preventable.
Accidents involving runaway trucks are almost never the sole fault of the driver. Instead, trucking companies and manufacturers may share in the liability of runaway trucks. In this instance, the semi-truck driven by Cardoso-Reyes might have been subject to a brake failure while traveling downhill, or the drill pipes could have been loaded improperly, causing the entire semi-truck to roll over the guardrail.
Manufacturers and trucking companies must ensure that their semi-trucks and drivers are safe.
The trucking company must install brakes that can withstand the large amounts of friction caused during the transport of large, heavy loads. It is the responsibility of the trucking company to take every precaution necessary to prevent accidents like this from happening.
Here, for example, the trucking company may have negligently loaded the drill pipes into Cardoso-Reyes’ truck or failed to secure the cargo properly. With thousands of pounds of steel drainpipes shifting around corners in the Gulch, the weight of the trailer may have caused the trailer to sway and overturn. Alternatively, the brakes may have failed due to manufacturer error or improper maintenance.
Either way, investigators must also analyze why Cardoso-Reyes did not act sooner to avoid a catastrophic outcome. Many questions might be answered by examining the robustness of the safety culture of CHGG Delivery. If Cardoso-Reyes had reason to believe something was wrong with the semi-truck as he traveled up the gulch, why did he not pull over? Perhaps the trucking company put a large amount of emphasis on the speedy delivery of products and disincentivized safety by discouraging drivers from pulling off the road at any sign of trouble.
Although I am not saying the truck’s manufacturer or trucking company had anything to do with the deadly crash, I am suggesting that investigators must examine every possible cause of this horrific accident. It is only right that Cardoso-Reyes’ family receive the answers they deserve so they can pursue justice in whatever form that takes.
Our firm offers comprehensive legal strategies to explore all possible avenues of remedy for those involved in accidents with semi-trucks. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this accident.
